How to change view and edit permissions

Use these instructions to change permissions for who can view and edit a page (a.k.a. security settings).

 

Three security settings: No access, View only, View & edit

There are three levels of permissions that a user or group can have on a given page:

• No access: People with no permissions on a page will not even see the page listed in the navigation or search, and they will not see any recent activity from the page.
• View only: Permission to view the page and add comments, but can't edit it or attach files.
• View & edit: Permission to edit, attach files, change security settings, move the page, etc.

Default permissions come from parent page

By default, subpages inherit security settings from their parent pages. When changes are made to a parent page's security settings, the subpages' security settings change as well.

Checkbox option indicates that security settings will be inherited from the parent page in the navigation


However, this default inheritance of security settings can be changed. To change a page's security settings, the checkbox Use security settings from parent page [page title] must be unchecked. (This checkbox option can be found by clicking Security permissions on the right in edit mode.) Changes to the security settings can then be made, and once saved, changes to the security settings of the parent page will not change the security settings of the subpage.

Whether a page is public or private is also affected by the public/private status of the parent page. To learn more, see Make a page Private.

 

Giving permissions on a page

You need to have View & edit permission on a page in order to change the security settings.

1. Click the down arrow on the right of the page header to open the Page Controls.
2. Click Security to switch to the Security tab. In the Security tab you can see the current security settings.
3. Click the edit icon (a pencil) beside View only or View & Edit to open the Security pop-up window.
   
   
    
4. Uncheck the box Use security settings from parent page [page title] (only if the box is already checked).
5. Click Add people and security groups, then start typing the name of a user or security group in the Enter names text box. Matching names and profiles will appear in a dropdown menu as you type.
6. Click on the name of the person or security group you want to add. (Or use the arrow keys to navigate to the person's name and then hit the Enter key.) It will appear in the text box.
   
   
    
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to add other people or security groups to whom you want to give the same level of permission.
8. Choose the permission level using the can edit toggle below the list of names. (Can edit toggle ON (colored) = View and edit permission, Can edit toggle OFF (grey) = View only permission)
   
   
    
9. Click Add. The person or security groups will appear in the list at the bottom of the pop-up window.
10. Repeat steps 5 to 9 to give more people permissions on the page.
11. Click Save.

You can also change security settings in page edit mode

You can also access the security settings while you are creating or editing a page.

1. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) in the page header to go into edit mode.
2. In the Security section on the right, click Security permissions. This will open the Security pop-up window, and you can then follow the above instructions starting at Step 4.
   
   

Change view and edit permissions

Once a person or group has been given permissions, it is easy to change the permissions they have.

1. Open the Security pop-up window from the Page Controls, or in Edit mode.
2. Find the user or group in the list at the bottom of the pop-up window.
   1. To remove all permissions, click the X at the right of the person or group name. The name will disappear from the list.
   2. To change between View only and View & edit permissions, click on the toggle in the Can Edit column beside the name of the person or group. If the toggle is off (grey), that indicates View only permission. If the toggle is on (colored), that indicates View & edit permission. When you change the toggle, the current permissions appear beside the person or group name.
      
      
       
3. Click Done.

Hover over a name to see mini-profile

Hover over a user's name in the list of security settings to bring up a mini-profile with profile photo and contact information. On touch devices, tap on the name to bring up the mini-profile. This can help you see who has permissions on the page.

 

Sort list of users with permissions

You can sort the list of users in the Security pop-up window by User Type (person or group), Permissions (View only or View & edit), or Alphabetical order.

1. Open the Security pop-up window from the Page Controls, or in Edit mode.
2. Above the list of names click on the current sort (User Type, Permissions or Alphabetical) to open the dropdown menu.
3. Click on the sort that you want to apply to the list of names. The list will immediately re-sort.
4. Click on the arrow beside the current sort to reverse the sort order.

Bulk removal of permissions

You can remove permissions for everyone, those who have View only permission, or those who have View & edit permission.

1. Open the Security pop-up window from the Page Controls, or in Edit mode.
2. At the bottom of the list of names, click on Bulk Remove to open the dropdown menu.
3. Click on the removal option that you want to apply. Those users will immediately be removed.
   
   
    
4. Click Done.

Learn more:

• Use group membership to give security permissions
• Change the page owner
• Show or hide page owner and date
• Make a page private 

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Hot intranet tip!

Default to open access

You may be surprised at how responsible your colleagues are (especially since every edit is attributed to someone). Instead of locking down sections, set permissions so any employee can edit. On the average page, most people never will edit and those who do will try to be helpful. Either people are fundamentally good, or the version control feature makes for good policing (maybe both).